Okay, following a Sockwell post is risky, but here goes, maybe I'll get some ancillary traffic. Been playing around a bit lately. Difficult for me to work on anything that isn't assigned, just the way I am, may be from having full time jobs for so many years and being task oriented. This is a piece that started as a rough for recent cover assignment. I'll post the final chosen piece once the mag is published.
I presented four roughs for this assignment, all well received. This is one that I chose to play with a bit more.
Another cover rough that I may work up into a final.
I wasnt thrilled with this one, didn't have much to hold my interest
I used to spend a lot of time doing brush work, meaning inking, small brush with ink or a Staedtler marker brush. Took a lot of years to develop a good hand. I miss it and this hair thing is just a little experiment in trying to get back to the brush work and somehow work it into my vector work.
May be just SLIGHTLY Yuko inspired!!
I haven't been getting too many interesting assignments lately so it was nice to get an op-ed yesterday. Thanks Kim.
It may sound silly but I felt a bit uneasy about trying to interpret this story of loss and human suffering. Who am I, a person who hasn't winessed death, except for loved ones in hospitals, haven't had to flee from unspeakbale opression, nor have I had to starve, or witness the darkest of human nature, who am I to match this guys words? I guess I just felt like the skulls were getting a bit cartoony or the ideas were too cliche, gimicky, and didn't want to cheapen this guys piece.
I had a very trying childhood, violence, alcoholism, abandonement, blah blah blah, etc. But this all seems like suburban folly from people who have too much, embarassing in fact when you think of the suffering that people like this man have faced.
My wife and I went out for dinner last night to celebrate our 19 year anniversary, we had a long conversation about what it might be like to come to this country as a first generation immigrant, and how she and I being several generations removed from that experience can never truly appreciate what we have.
This was something I intended to post a few weeks back. I was getting really upset with art directors who were letting editors run rough shod all over the creative process. Many of you would agree that some of the things we like to hear the least are "Looks good, let me show the editors" or "I'll get right back to you with the editors feedback". Don't get me wrong, editors have quite a responsibility but what's the point of even having an art director if all they are doing is acting as a conduit for the whims of the editors, who more often than not are sort of literal leaning in their visual sense. At the very least the art director should be an advocate for the illustrator and not just roll over when the editors flex. It's been my experience that the good art directors have the balls to stand up to editors and others. Sometimes I need to push the art director back into the editors office by simply refusing to follow some ambiguous, arbitrary, and again usually trite and literal direction that comes from there. I used to have a sort of cartoony style that I didn't love but lived with. I let art directors and editors push me all over the place and pretty much did what they asked until I had no love at all for what I was doing. When I began working in my new more honest style just about four or five years ago I was so happy and excited again, kind of like way back when work was always just for yourself and you couldn't wait to get back to a piece. I swore not to let myself get derailed by the bad ideas of others, the pursuit of pay at all costs etc. Well, I have sold out more times than I care to recall, as I'm sure we all have, you get tired of fighting, you just want to get the job done and move on. Well I welcome the slowdown that is forming now to refocus, rally the troops, generate new fresh good work and re commit to not letting the work get away from me. The sample above is of course for one of the ADs that the above does not apply.
More icon roughs for Men's Mag-They didn't like my first group at all and that's all I'll say about that.
PC World-Beth Kamaroff
Tufts-Betsy Hayes
Recent work.
Haven't posted in a while so like a few recent posts here is a smattering of recent day to day work. I'm still bracing for the downturn but have been pretty fortunate for the first few months of 09 to remain busy. I do however sense a slowing now but have a sizeable commercial job to keep me busy. I'm honestly looking forward to a lighter workload as I really need to break out a bit.
And here's my latest contribution for Soojin. I always lovegetting the copies she sends. Always full of surprising solutions and stellar art.
Following on the heels of David and Edel, I submit mine. My first rough was this sort of Frank Ghery head. The article was about what to do in tough times, when things are coming apart. I didn't want to do facial features, because that tends to sometimes make my stuff look a bit goofy. The final was an evolution of the head idea, a compromose that I was happy with.
I neglected to enter anything in the Drawger annual, a bit complacent I suppose. If I was to submit a piece it would be one of these two. I did both as pro bono projects for the source books, one a spread divider for Workbook and the other as part of a mailing promoting Serbin's book.
Many of you probably suffer from the "rutt" from time to time, falling into formulaic solutions, safe solutions, including things that we're comfortable drawing etc. I mean every piece can't be brilliant, or can it? I'm happy to be busy that I haven't had time to do much personal work, but I really really need to.
After reading Brodner's post celebrating Tim Luddy and the mother ship of powerful unbridaled illustration, Mother Jones, thought I'd post a few pre Drawger pieces I did for MJ in 06. Perhaps a few of you can post yours as well.
This wasn't assigned by Tim but an a.d that is no longer at MJ. I feel terrible for not recalling and will surely update this post when my brain kicks in this a.m. This was their 30th year anniversary issue and I was given this great opportunity of doing several half pagers, all political, a dream. Especially since I am typecast as the technology and business guy.
I got this call just a couple weeks after I lost my mother. I wasn't taking any jobs, but this wasn't about 401ks or building a better server. I had been so disillusioned and angry since 00 and worse after 04, and was in a particularly angry and dark place after my loss.
I think this is reflected in some of these. The subject are foreclosure, the border, etc. I think most are self explanatory.
I am now hopeful.
detail
GOP infighting
The many issues that he GOP should be called on, but aren't were not.
I must be in sync with Brian Rea at the Times. I'm thinking it's time to do an op-ed piece then the phone rings. This has happened with other clients as well. Always happy to drop everything for the op-ed. The subject was the current crisis in Myanmar, the refusal by the bad guys there to allow aid to be delivered and how using force may be an option.
I've been doing this weekly piece for the NYT National section since January. It's a small illustration to accompany a legal column. Of course it is the Times so it is often a contentious issue, timely etc. I haven't posted any work in a while and was inspired by Edel's posting of his op-ed piece. When I look at what I do every day a huge amount is tech oriented, non human, non emotional work, though I love it. I love taking stories on os software etc. and doing something different and fresh. But the Times gives me a chance to get involved in serious issues both in this legal column which is written by the brilliant writer Adam Liptak, and the op-ed work that Brian Rea sends my way.
Looking back at these legal pieces and others wow do they add up quick, this is but a sampling.
This is a job I'm currently working on for Hemispheres. The story is sort of a fluff piece on the cruising industry. I'm having some fun with this, more organic than most of my work.
